Though it's considered the most venomous snake, the inland taipan isn't actually the most dangerous because it doesn't encounter many people. According to National Geographic, the most dangerous snakes are the ones that live alongside people in areas where access to antivenom and medical care is limited. That's one reason venomous snakes have such high fatality numbers.

"The most venomous snake is the one that bites you," Steven Seifert, the director of the New Mexico Poison and Drug Information Center, told National Geographic.

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Death by snake bite is not much of a problem In the United States, the Center for Disease Control estimates 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by deadly snakes every year but just 5 people die — usually the ones that didn't seek immediate medical care.

But other countries with less access to medical care are a different story: Approximately 11,000 people in India die from snake bites every year, according to the PLOS study.

Compared to sharks and other dangerous animals — like humans — snakes are up there in their kill rate. But there's one tiny, annoying critter that's kills far more people than venomous snakes and sharks combined.